Old School Mama Shop Way of Life.
It has been a while since I have seen one of these old school mama shop. Being the typical "city boy", I do my shopping mostly at malls or my wife would just buy things off online stores.
I stumble upon this mama shop in Jurong when I was visiting someone.
I have spent a good 20 over years in newer towns such as Tampines and Punggol. The sight of such an establishment is really almost never.
"Uncle, how long have you been doing this?"
"36 years already."
"Wah! So long?" I was kinda shocked because he does not look that old. He looks like he is at most in his early forties.
"Ya. Life not easy okay. With people like Sheng Siong around the corner. And youngsters like you buying everyone online."
He hit me with the truth and a wave of guilt.
I looked around their shop and I could tell that they are a rather progressive couple in their own ways. Not only do they sell the typical sundries but they also provide pick-up and drop-off of dry cleaning. They also sold things such as portable chargers, phone cables, and even earpieces. Probably catering to the people staying around the neighbourhood. He even tried to upsell me some candies when I was just buying a drink.
I looked at the couple and I tried to imagine living their life and wonder what they are going through.
How old are their kids?
Are they even a couple?
Do they still love each other?
With the need to open this shop, how often do they travel out of this area?
Do they even travel?
What hobbies do they have?
What do they do after work?
They seem like they built their lives around this shop.
Most importantly, are they happy?
I once had a dream when I was young. I wanted to open a mama shop. My uncle laughed at me when I told him that. He said that I have no ambition. He called me useless. I was only in primary school then.
I told him this or something along the line, (It has been a while.)
"I want a shop. I can provide my family with food. I can eat whatever I want. I can also earn money by selling things to people who needs them. I also get to interact and make friends with the neighbours. I do not see why is that useless."
I remember this very clearly. I have no idea why but this conversation replays itself more often than I can explain. I remember exactly why I wanted to do it and the kind of happiness that filled me when I was explaining myself almost 30 years ago.
More questions came to me as I stood there looking at the little shop.
Are they still making money?
Are they in debt?
Can they be doing anything else?
What is their story?
Can they be earning even more money if they are just working as a cashier in a bigger establishment?
Is there anything anyone can do to grow their business?
Marketing? No one is going to travel here just to shop.
Funding? So what if they got more money? Hire someone to do it? Expand their business?
Upskilling? They sound like they are in their 50s, upskilling after 36 years of working at their own mama shop ain't impossible but it ain't changing this business.
Is there anything we can do to keep the business?
They did not tell me the shop is closing or in any trouble. It is just my own baseless assumption. Everything has to come to an end, eventually.
What can the government do to help such businesses?
What can the government do to keep these businesses alive?
Then, I stop again and ask myself.
Do we really still need these businesses alive?
If no one is buying anything from them, what is the point of such businesses? Just for the sake of nostalgia?
What is going to happen to them if they ain't making a living out of this shop?
I guess they can always be placed in some other jobs.
I do not think anyone is going to take over such businesses anyway.
I actually have no conclusion at all for these thoughts.
It was just a very strange wave of emotion while I stood there looking at them doing their things.
Their way of life.
And I've no message for this post. I just wanted to pen it down. It still helps to clear my head sometimes.
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